COLLABORATION

The First International MotoPolo Tournament In India

We’ve just returned from Goa, India, after hosting the first international Malle MotoPolo Tournament at the MotoVerse Festival, presented by Royal Enfield and wow, what an experience. Hot, fast, dusty, chaotic, and utterly unforgettable!

We first created the sport of MotoPolo at The Malle Mile Festival back in 2017 and over the years it has grown into one of the festival’s most anticipated highlights: incredibly fun to play, and wildly entertaining to watch.

A Sport Born From Many Others But Completely Unique

When we developed MotoPolo, we borrowed rules and spirit from several great sports; Goat Polo, Ice Hockey, Football, Polo and motorcycle racing among them. Each match features two teams with four or five players (depending on pitch size), plus one substitute standing by for any mid-match mechanical mishaps.

With ten minutes each way, this non-contact sport is fast, relentless, and demands serious skill, precision, and commitment on the motorcycle.

The Teams Assemble

The Malle team arrived in Goa and were introduced to the local Indian players, who had travelled from as far as Ladakh in the Himalayas, Bangalore, Delhi and Bengaluru tom play in the tournament. To level the competition, one Malle team player joined each of the Indian teams, creating four final MotoPolo squads. After a morning of strategy chats and training sessions, everyone was briefed, suited up, armoured, and ready for the MotoPolo battle.

The Machines: Royal Enfield’s MotoPolo Specials

For this tournament, Royal Enfield built a fleet of custom MotoPolo motorcycles, using the lightweight Hunter 350 as the base. The bikes underwent thoughtful modifications: indicators and vulnerable parts removed, aggressive off-road tyres installed and finished in a striking MotoPolo livery.

Typically, players bring their own machines to the games, often wildly varied in size and style, so having identical motorcycles for every player truly levelled the playing field. Of course, the red, rocky, and uneven MotoVerse race track was anything but level, which only added to the spectacle, complexity and drama of every match.

Fast, Fierce and Full of Dust

The tournament featured four matches: two qualifiers, the semi-final, and the dramatic final. With each game the pace and skill escalated, and goals came quicker and harder. Though MotoPolo is technically non-contact, adrenaline occasionally took over, resulting in sudden stops, rapid braking, and a few upside-down motorcycles and players. Thanks to player skill and proper protective gear, there were no injuries to riders or machines.

Bruno Morris, our legendary Malle Mile commentator, had flown in from London to guide the crowds through the action. His witty, high-energy commentary kept the Goan spectators laughing, cheering, and completely engrossed all afternoon.

The Final: Team Shroom Zoom Vs. Team Full Send Faculty

The final match saw Team Shroom Zoom face Full Send Faculty. The day’s 36°C heat had eased only slightly when play began. Players were drenched in sweat but now fully dialled in, defence on both sides was unbreakable. Despite repeated attacks and countless goal attempts, neither team could push through.

As the second half wore on, exhaustion was visible on every face as players chased, defended, and attacked relentlessly. With the score still 0–0, the match went into extra time: first goal wins.

Royal Enfield’s chairman, Sid Lal, had joined the crowd, and every kick, turn, and throttle twist was met with roars from the crowd. In the twelfth minute of extra time, after a chaotic cluster of motorcycles locked together, referee Ash Chikhlia dove into the ruck to free the ball and restart play.

From the melee, two players suddenly broke free, racing towards the goal with three opponents in hot pursuit. Three more players intercepted, but at the last possible moment the ball was kicked. It ricocheted off the goalpost, rolled across the line, and was immediately followed by a fully committed rider who took out the post and two other players, sending up a massive red cloud of dust.

Silence.
Referee Ash raised his hand.
Goal.

The crowd erupted as Team Shroom Zoom raced back to their teammates in triumph, taking the win 1–0 after one of the hardest-fought MotoPolo matches yet.

"From the melee, two players suddenly broke free, racing towards the goal with three opponents in hot pursuit. Three more players intercepted, but at the last possible moment the ball was kicked."

A New Home for a New Sport

Huge congratulations to all the players for entering MotoPolo with such enthusiasm, courage, and skill. Dust filled the air, the crowds were exhilarated, and a real camaraderie was forged between the Indian and British players, bonded by sweat, motor oil, teamwork and the humble motorcycle.

A heartfelt thank you to Royal Enfield and the entire MotoVerse team for inviting us to bring this wild new sport to India. MotoPolo has found a vibrant new home here.